US shifts peak-hour flight approvals to Spirit Airlines at Newark

The US government on Tuesday reassigned 16 peak-hour runway timings at congested Newark Airport in New Jersey to Spirit Airlines from Southwest Airlines, saying this would boost competition and help reduce costs for travelers. The move "secures low-cost service options for Newark customers and improves competition in the Newark market," the US DOT said. USDOT said Spirit must report additional data on disruptions facing airline customers and its ability to provide them with accommodations, noting Spirit's "higher relative number of customer complaints" received by the department. Southwest has operated the 16 timings since 2010 when it acquired them as part of a US Justice Department competition remedy to United's merger with Continental. JetBlue Airways, which is battling with Frontier in its quest to buy Spirit, sought all 16 timings while Alaska Airlines sought four. Alaska said it was disappointed, arguing it is "uniquely positioned to offer reliable service with lower fares between the Northeast and the West Coast – directly competing with airlines with larger networks." United is the dominant carrier at Newark operating 69% of flights and previously advocated for the timings being retired to reduce congestion. Last month, United said it would temporarily cut about 12% of daily departures from its Newark hub starting on July 1 to address congestion.<br/>